Flow measuring device



FLOW MEASURING DEVICE Filed Jan. 31, 1945 Ind for: /Ver effi/57u55@ 55"" fa/f my l niversal Oil ne a corporation oi Delaware This invention relates to a method and ape atus for measuring ilows oi iluid materials through small conduits or tubing. The improve ments on the device are such that direct contact with the iluid is unnecessary; thus it is particularly adaptable for measuring uid ilows that are normally dimcult to measure because oi the type of duid or because of the pressure conditions.

@ne object or the invention is to provide an apparatus which will measure very small iiow rates through small conduits, that are particularly dcult to measure by other means, such as sil quantities of hydrogen or other light gases. another object oi the invention is to provide an apparatus which is adaptable for use in high pressure service or for use with corrosive materials without complicating the construction details. .d still further object oi the inventon is to provide a substantially accurate measuring device which is readily adaptable to use in ccnnection with tubing or small piping of any ow system.

This invention is based on the thermoelectric principle of an electric current being set up wheretwo dissimilar metals are used in a circuit and where one of the junctions between the two dissimilar metals is at a higher temperature than the other junction. By using the metal piping as one element or material and by connecting to it at spaced points two wires of a diiierent metal and oi proper thermoelectric characteristics, which lead to a miilivoltmeter or a potentiometer. n thermocouple arrangement is made. Thus, by heating one ci the junctions between the wire and tubing, a voltage reading will be obtained on the iivoltmeter in the circuit.

in operation the huid now through the tubing or conduit will act to cool the heated junction and decrease the voltage from that obtained before starting the how. The degree of cooling and the variation in the millivoltmeter reading will vary as the ow rate through the conduit. In order to obtain a hot junction. an electric heating coil may be placed around the conduit or tubing at the point ci one o! the wire connections to the tubing. This heating coil may connected to a constant voltage transformer in to obtain a. substantially constant coil temrature independent ci variations in the line vole. A constant tial between the unheated cold junction and the hot junction when there is no duid how is necessary for accurate measurements. Thus, by making a i calibration oi the millivoltmeter or the potentiomer i'or a given iiuid material this improved apparatus may be used to observe the ilow rate of the given uid as indicated by the millivoltmeter or the potentiometer.

temperature dideren- 4 The calibration of the apparatus may be made in any desired manner, by checking against a standard meter, or by iiowing the given duid into a measured container to displace a liquid. and obtain a calibrated millivoltmeter scale by making several timed readings for varying ilow rates. The calibration appears to be independent of pressure for some uid materials, such as hydrogen or other light gases having a conetant specic heat value, but for other materials the meter may require calibration at the approximate pressure which is to be used in the operation.

Present types of apparatus generally require some element of the apparatus vto be in contact with the iuid stream, which is a. distinct disadvantage. For example, it would be diilicult to place a heated element into a small tubing of 1t; inch internal diameter or the like. Also other diiilculties arise when placing wires or parte oi an apparatus into e. tube to be used lor high pressure service or when encountering corrosive uids. In contrast, the improved form oi the apparatus of this invention is independent of the pressure. or the type of duid being used, or the smallness of the tubing or conduit. The new device, however, is limited. in general. for use with small conduits or tubing for measuring dow rates readily and with considerable accuracy, while relatively large flow rates having streamline :dow in large conduits are not as easily or readily measured by this method.

Briefly. one form of the for measuring fluid ow. comprises two wires oi' a proper thermoelectric metal which are attached to the piping or tubing being used, at two spaced apart points, with each wire connecting to a millivoltmeter or potentiometer to complete a thermocouple circuit. The tubing at one of the wire connections or junctions to the tubing is heated by a constant voltage heating coll to provide a hot junction in the circuit. In order to obtain a good thermcelectric current. the wires may be of constantan in combinaion with steel or copper tubing. When a non-metallic tubing is used, a wire must be connected between the hot and the cold junctions in order to complete a dissimilar metal thermocouple circuit.

improved apparatus.

The thermocouple wire connections should be Referring to the drawing. the numeral I denotes a metal conduit or tubing carrying a liquid or gas. the flow rate of which is to be measured. The iiuid now through the tubing is in the-direction indicated by the arrows. The wires 2 and 3 are connected to the millivoltmeter 4, thus a thermoelectric circuit is established with one junction made at C and the other Junction at .i H." With the tubing I of stainless steel, iron or copper then the wires 2 and I may be o! constantan in order to obtain two dissimilar metals with good .thermoelectric characteristics. When the tubing I is non-metallic. a connecting wire l (shown lby the dotted line) must be placed between the two connections "C and "H in order to complete the circuit. A resistance heating coil is placed around the connection ot junction H" to obtain a hot Junction in contrast to the cold junction C." In this manner a potential difierence is set up in the thermoelectric circuit that can be measured on the millivoltmeter 4. The power supply for the heating coil B is supplied through lines 1 and 8 and the constant voltage transformer 9. The use of a constant voltage transformer 9 results in a substantially constant current -through the heating coil 6, and a more constant 'temperature differential between the Junctions "C and H" with no fluid ow. The switch I0 is used to turn on and oil' the electric power to the heating coil.

To illustrate the operation of the device it will be assumed that it is to be used to measure the flow rate of hydrogen, which is at a 1000 lbs. per square inch pressure and is to be introduced through a small stainless steel tube I at a relatively slow velocity into a vessel for use in connection with a chemical conversion process. With a stainless steel tube I, tthe thermocouple wires 2 and 3 may be of constantan, to result in good thermoelectric characteristics. The constant voltage transformer 0 may be of any standard make. and suitable for the available Power supply through lines 1 and 8, while the millivoitmeter may be any standard moving coil instrument. As previously mentioned the scale on the millivoltmeter 4 must be calibrated to read in terms oi' velocity, or a chart may be usedwhich will transfer E. M. F. millivoltmeter readings into terms oi gas ilow. By making a series oi timed measurements for varying 'now rates a substantially accurate calibrated scale may be established;

In operation the switch I0 is closed and the heating coil 8 is allowed to bring Ithe tube I up to maximum temperature at the junction H. The apparatus is then -ready -to measure ilow rate. With a given ilow rate through the tube I the hot junction rr' is cooled. heat being met to the hydrogen lowing within the small tubing I, and a 1iiow rate is obtained by reading the millivolnne- Slightly varying temperature in a mom or place where the apparatus is used should not give any great inaccuracies, since the device is self compensating with equal temperature changes occurring on both the "H" and C junctions. However, if the apparatus must be subjected to drafts or unequal heating conditions, then insulation may be placed around the pipe and connection points in order to maintain accuracy of performance.

For hydrogen. the calibration appears to be independent o! the pressure: however, forair and many other gases or 'liquids whose speciiic varies considerably with pressure, the 1: l must also vary with the pressure. Y

Although the apparatus is used for the mesaurement of a gas in the above example. it should be noted that the device is equally operative for measuring small liquid ilows, down to the-point where fthe rate is one drop at a time. However, for either liquid or gases the apparatus is best suited for use with relatively small tubes or conduits. since for large tubing or conduits having stream-line now conditions the required accuracy may not 'be obtained.

It is not intended to limit this device to that illustrated, or only to the materials mentioned above since there are many variations which can come within the scope of this invention. 'There are several types ol wires and metals that may be used which have proper thermoelectric characteristics: and there are various types, of meters which may be used to measure voltage or varying Putential in the circuit. Also other means than that shown may be used Sto maintain a constant heat on the conduit at the hot :Iunction point.

I claim as my invention:

An apparatus for' determining uid now through a small metallic conduit. said apparams comprising a thermocouple circuit with said metallic conduit forming one element of the thermocouples and wires of a metal dierent from the conduit being attached to said conduit at spaced apart points to provide the other element oi said thermocouples, a miliivoltmeter in said thermocouple circuit, a heating coil placed around said conduit at one of the wire junction points with said conduit and said heating coil having a constant voltage supply.

HERBERT A. y

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the ille of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,890,985 Hamblen et al Dec. 13, 1932 2,061,941 Hukill Nov. 24, 1936 2,279,043 Harrington Apr. 7, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 44,482 France Jan. 26, 1934 '761,973 France Jan. 13, 1934 

